Pisces

Pisces Dream Pillow 

Combine equal parts of the following dried herbs:
Roses Rosa
Hops Humulus lupulus
Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris
Lavender Lavandula
Chamomile Matricaria recutita or Anthemis nobilis

Mix herbs together and add a few drops of lavender essential oil, if desired. Sew a pouch, fill with herb mix and secure. 
 Place near or under your pillow to enhance and aid in dreaming.  Sweet Dreams! 

Pisces the Fishes 

Today, February 18th @2:44 am (PST) the Sun enters the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces. 

One way to understand the signs is to imagine the zodiac wheel as the natural cycle of life and the development of consciousness; each sign building upon the one before.  It's such an intuitive way to understand the signs, and I'd love to briefly share it with you here before we look at the sign of Pisces.   

Aries (Cardinal Fire-Begins Spring) represents birth; the spark of life that begins a new cycle, like a sprout erupting through the earth.  Taurus (Fixed Earth-Mid Spring) Having become aware of its new form/body, draws strength and substance from the resources available to build a stable, peaceful existence.  Gemini (Mutable Air-Late Spring), now stable and rooted, enters the element of air/mind and begins to commune with the world, using all senses to perceive and gather new information to propel its evolution onward.  Cancer (Cardinal Water-Begins Summer)  Having gained insights from communing with the world, now turns within to explore and ultimately protect its own watery depth of emotions.  Leo (Fixed Fire-Mid Summer)  Equipped with self knowledge, is now ready to crack out of its protected shell to express its authentic, vulnerable self.  Virgo (Mutable Air-Late Summer) Having fully expressed itself, is now ready to perfect its talents, skills, and crafts to serve the community.  Libra (Begins Autumn)  Through serving and helping the community, is acutely aware of the duality between self and other and works to perfect the art of harmonizing and relating with others.  Scorpio (Fixed Water-Mid Autumn) Having developed the skill of relating with others, now can glimpse beyond the veil and into the deep mysterious waters of 'other.'  Sagittarius (Mutable Fire-Ends Autumn) Having peered into the otherworld, desires to know and thus thrusts itself on the endless quest for knowledge and understanding by exploring unfamiliar thoughts and worlds.   Capricorn (Cardinal Earth-Begins Winter)  After much exploration and expansion, has realized its ultimate purpose and goal, and steadily moves toward that goal.  Aquarius (Fixed Air-Mid Winter) Having reached the mountaintop and attained its goals, stands out from the crowd and gifts the world with its hard won wisdom. 

Last but not least is Pisces (Mutable Water-Late Winter) The cycle is near complete, so what is there left to do but dissolve back into Spirit in order to be reborn?   The Pisces archetype reminds us that our reality is simply a product of our consciousness, and 'life is but a dream.'  This realization is easier said than 'done,' especially when our lives feel difficult or we are experiencing great suffering.   Nevertheless, this universal truth is the basis of many spiritual teachings and has the potential to liberate us from the anguish caused by our looping thoughts.    
Pisces can be understood elementally as water vapor, or clouds.  What can be more elusive than evaporated water?  Watching clouds change and move across the sky is a wonderful way to study Pisces.  
"It is the nature of the world of form that nothing stays fixed for very long-and so it starts to fall apart again.  Forms dissolve; new forms arise.  Watch the clouds.  They will teach you about the world of form."  Eckhart Tolle. 
 This understanding is easier to find and accept during Pisces season and so meditating, dreaming, listening to our creative impulses and simply spacing out may come more easily this time of year.  Though 'doing nothing' is not often modeled or encouraged by a culture that prioritizes productivity at all costs, the benefits of mediation are becoming widely known and accepted. 
So in honor of Pisces season, I plan to write "Meditate" on my to do list and postpone some of the others . . .and of course take responsibility for how the thoughts in my head create the reality I see.    Peace out.